Richard Gere Promised 3rd Wife 'At Least 20 Good Years' Together When He Married Her at 68

Hollywood's leading man Richard Gere is married to a Spanish native, Alejandra Silva, 33 years his junior. Gere hoped to have been married for as long as his parents were, but that never happened.

Born in August 1949, in Philadelphia, to parents Doris Ann, a homemaker, and Homer George Gere, an insurance salesman, veteran actor Richard Gere is the second of five children.

The "Unfaithful" star started as a musician in high school. Gere played musical instruments and wrote music for high school productions.

The "Pretty Woman" star graduated from North Syracuse Central High School in 1967. He won a gymnastics scholarship to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he majored in philosophy.

However, after two years of college, Gere decided to take another route and pursued an acting career instead. He bagged a leading role in the London production of the rock musical "Grease" in 1973.

He then featured in several other plays a year later, such as "Taming of Shrew." Gere also had a few roles on screen, but his supporting role in 1977's "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" gained him recognition.

Still, his big break came when he portrayed Julian in the mystery film "American Gigolo" in 1980. Gere later starred in the 1982 movie "An Officer and a Gentleman."

Looking back on how fame changed his life, the "Shall We Dance?" star told the Guardian in June 2017 that one could not be taught how to act once-popular:

"After ‘American Gigolo’ my life changed and it was both wonderful and difficult. I was young and suddenly people knew who I was. I just wanted to work. I don’t think of myself as ‘rich and famous.’ I’m just not interested in it."

GERE'S VIEWS ON FAME ARE SIMILAR TO HIS LOVE LIFE

Just like his stern view on his career, about only wanting to work without fuss, Gere also did not want people poking into his personal life. In his rise to superstardom, Gere was labeled a sex symbol, which only brought unwanted attention from the media.

A reporter from The Ladies' Home Journal once asked him about his sexuality, saying, "How does it feel to be a sex symbol? Are you gay or what?" Shockingly, Gere responded by dropping his pants. He took offense to the question and said it was nobody's business to know who he was and was not sleeping with.

He expressed that all the tabloids were nonsensical in doing their jobs, stating that there are many different ways to respond in interviews. Gere noted that nobody could understand his deepest emotions while not hinting at precisely what they are.

Years later, the Hollywood star admitted he wanted to have a long-lasting marriage with a wife, just like his parents. Gere revealed that his beloved parents had been married for over 70 years, and he wanted to emulate them.

The talented "Runaway Bride" star wished for that kind of longevity in his own life, but unfortunately, he could not manage to attain it.

Gere's first marriage was to former supermodel Cindy Crawford whom he wed in December 1991. However, the pair divorced in 1995 after being together for six years. Crawford revealed to the Huffington Post that part of why their union failed was because she was young.

At that time, she did not consider herself young though she and the Hollywood heartthrob had an age gap. Crawford was 26, and he was 41, she explained:

"I didn't think I was young, though, but I was young. I was with Richard for six years, but I was only married for two years."

The actress further revealed that after parting ways, they were no longer close as they used to be. Though they were friendly, Gere was more like a stranger to her because they saw less of each other.

Gere later married "Law & Order" actress Carey Lowell in November 2002. She was 12 years his junior, making her the closest in age. But things took a twisted turn when Lowell filed for divorce in 2013 after a decade of marriage which was his longest.

While trying to settle, the former couple swiftly agreed on joint custody of their only child together, son Homer. It took three more years to finalize their drawn-out divorce because Lowell persisted in securing Gere's $45 million fortune.

After years of going back and forth, the duo finally found common ground in October 2016, but the terms of their settlement were not revealed to the public.

GERE FOUND LOVE AGAIN WHEN HE MET ALEJANDRA SILVA

Gere decided to give love another chance despite his previous marriage not working out. He finally found "the one" in his third wife, Alejandra Silva, a Spanish publicist he met in 2014.

An insider revealed to Closer Weekly in July 2015 that the couple met through his charity called, The Gere Foundation. "They became closer, following the Nepal earthquake, when Alejandra worked with the organization," said the source.

Gere and Silva were spotted together for the first time publicly when they attended the Taormina Film Festival in Italy while on vacation in Taormina, Sicily.

A witness who saw the lovebirds during that period revealed, "They were holding hands the whole time, kissing and caressing each other. They seemed to be in love!"

The pair secretly dated before the trip and then decided to make their relationship public, showing the world they were now an item, explained an insider.

Gere and Silva toured Roman ruins, swam off a luxury yacht, and were pictured sipping wine together over dinner at La Botte restaurant.

The couple has some things in common. They love wine, yoga, and meditating, a source revealed, adding, "Richard has taken Alejandra to Tibet with him to meet the Dalai Lama, who approves of her."

Gere has also influenced his beautiful wife spiritually in many ways. Though Catholic, Silva fell in love with another religion. She studied and practiced Buddhism. A source told the Spanish press that the political activist was head over heels in love with the American native :

"She is madly in love with Richard, and they are very happy together."

Gere knew what he was doing when he wooed Silva, who told Hello Magazine in March 2019 that the "Mr. Jones" star courted her by sending flowers until she agreed to date him. Now he romantically writes her songs. After tying the knot, Silva divulged she felt like she was in a true fairy-tale:

"Without a doubt, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. What could be more romantic than a man who writes you songs every day?"

GERE PROMISED SILVA 20 GOOD YEARS

In asking for her hand in marriage, Silva did not go into specific details but hinted that it was a romantic proposal. Gere popped the big question on her birthday:

"This was a private moment, just the two of us. He asked me to marry him in the most romantic hotel I've been to, in St. Paul de Vence, on my birthday. I get emotional just remembering it."

After falling in love with Gere, Silva converted to his religion Buddhism and relocated to New York before they said their 'I dos' at his ranch situated outside New York City.

When speaking about changing her religion, the mother of two said she would infinitely be grateful to her husband, adding that Buddhism undoubtedly transformed her life. Silva told Spain's ABC newspaper in 2015 that converting was an easy choice:

"I was born Catholic but converted to Buddhism two years ago. I think it was already inside of me. I believe in reincarnation, so that's why I think I was Buddhist before realizing it."

Silva and Gere restyled their home for their wedding day into an Indian-inspired fairy-tale. They imported tents from Jaipur and decorated flowers with Tibetan flags before the bride and groom made their grand entrance in a tuk-tuk, stunning their 39 guests.

Silva revealed that Gere drove the tuk-tuk, which humored guests because it was unexpected. When the "Breathless" star saw his bride in her wedding gown, he was mesmerized, saying she was the most spectacular woman he had ever laid eyes on:

"I couldn't stop smiling. I was very nervous. I said, 'I love you.' The ceremony was beautiful. We exchanged rings our children brought to us. It was so moving."

Although having a 70-year marriage like his parents had would be impossible for Gere now, he promised to make the most of the time he would spend with his spouse.

Silva revealed that her loving husband promised her at least twenty good years together. "He promised me at least 20 good years! I have to confess that he has much more energy than me. He's much more active," she gushed.

The pair have a 30-year age gap. Gere reportedly shares to anyone he comes across how in love he is with the mother of his kids. When asked what she did to him, Silva said Gere knows she loves him immensely and believes she brings him stability.

She added that what brought them closer was their desire to help others and their commitment to their shared religion and the Tibetan people. Silva mentioned that Gere recognized her unconditional commitment as a humanitarian, an individual, and a woman.

GERE ON GROWING OLD AND FATHERHOOD

He loves growing old, too. Gere once shared that waking up every day meant a new possibility. The humanitarian revealed that his father was in the nineties at the time and explained his mind was clear but was physically slower.

Gere mentioned that he aspired to that kind of longevity while noting that he was not as physically able as before but was mentally flexible. He disclosed to The Guardian in June 2002 that he was well aware that his body was deteriorating:

"My eyesight gets worse. My hearing gets worse. The physical energy is not there like it was before."

However, aging did not stop Gere from having kids and expanding his family. The movie star welcomed his son Home when he was 50 years old and called him the joy of his life.

Gere described his first child as a music lover who was a fast runner and intelligent. He noted that Homer was hilarious and that he got schooled on irony quickly in his young life.

At age 69, the proud father welcomed his second child and, first with Silva in New York in 2019, Alexander. Alexander arrived two decades after his half-brother's birth. Gere later became a dad of three when he and his spouse had another baby.

From the beginning, the couple remained mum on parenting their brood. The family continues to lead a private life, and they quietly moved into a new home in North Salem, New York.